Consent of Manas Is True Willingness

After a patient receives an organ transplant, rejection reactions can occur. Beyond factors like genetics, one reason is the rejection by the donor's Manas (the mental faculty). Most organ donations are not initiated by the donors themselves during their lifetime; they did not express willingness to donate their organs after death. Instead, family members decide to donate the deceased's organs. If the deceased was unwilling, then after the organ is transplanted into the patient, the deceased's Manas interferes and causes rejection. Alternatively, even if the deceased agreed to donate organs during their lifetime, if the organs are removed by surgery while they are near death but not yet fully deceased, causing them great suffering, they may develop resentment and regret. In such cases, when the organ is transplanted into the patient, the deceased's Manas might harbor resistance, leading to rejection reactions in the patient. The influence of Manas is immense, far exceeding that of the conscious mind (Mind), and this holds true regardless of whether consciousness is present or not. Therefore, to discern a person's true thoughts, attitudes, and intentions, one should not rely solely on how eloquently they speak with their conscious mind; instead, one must observe the genuine thoughts and motivations within their Manas. Some people speak beautifully but harbor entirely opposite thoughts internally; such individuals are profoundly hypocritical. In our daily interactions, we must be adept at observing others to understand their true thoughts. Do not merely trust the outward expressions of their conscious mind; observe their inner Manas. Manas is the fundamental consciousness that governs; it represents a person's moral character and their true cultivation.

If someone intends to give you something, observe whether they genuinely wish to give it or are pretending, harboring other thoughts or motives. Similarly, if we desire something from others, we must observe whether they are truly willing to give it—whether their Manas agrees, or if it's a reluctant act where the conscious mind (Mind) is willing but the Manas is not. If the Manas is unwilling to give, but the conscious mind feels compelled to give generously in action, the consequences can be very negative; they may seek ways to take it back.

If a person knows the other party is internally unwilling to give, yet also knows they might give in due to concerns like saving face, and thus boldly asks for it, resulting in the other party reluctantly giving while feeling very unhappy—this situation is almost equivalent to open robbery. What is the relationship between open robbery and theft? Both involve taking without the consent of the other party's Manas. Open robbery is taking overtly; theft is taking covertly. Is a robber equivalent to a thief or a grand thief? By this reasoning, judging whether a person is a noble person (junzi) or a petty person (xiaoren) becomes largely clear. A noble person does not seize what others cherish, applies the principle of "do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire," is open and upright, and does not resort to underhanded tricks or schemes. A petty person, however, is often anxious, sinister, employs tricks and schemes, harbors deceitful thoughts and cunning ways, and possesses many dark aspects.

When engaging in transactions with others, driving a hard bargain to the point of reaching or exceeding the other party's bottom line of tolerance is also equivalent to robbery and theft. Therefore, when purchasing items, do not haggle excessively. Allow the other party some leeway; consider their psychological state and tolerance. This is also part of one's cultivation and conduct as a person. Hence, the Buddha taught the Five Precepts and Ten Virtues to instruct us on how to be human. Observing the current Dharma-ending age, it is evident that many truly do not know how to be human. Since they cannot even conduct themselves properly as humans, severing the view of self to become a sage is impossible.